A review by cozyescapism
Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

2.0

Halo was an okay book for me so I decided to just read the sequel. I thought everything that was sort of well, bad, would be sorted out in this one. Like learning from your mistakes. This did not happen. Hades started out to be an interesting read, then a tedious one, then a just plain weird one.

The Interesting
Beth gets kidnapped and sucked into Hell? Heck yes, I'll read about that. She has to bargain something that will kill her to get out? Great! The promise of Gabriel, Ivy, and Xavier fighting for Beth's freedom? Sounds interesting! The progressing laughable yet sad romance between Molly and Gabriel? Can't wait!

Now none of that is really a spoiler considering it basically tells you on the cover. I was really excited because if all that is just the blurb what else will happen in the novel??

The answer: Nothing really.
Which brings me to:

The Tedious
Halfway through the book and nothing has really progressed any further than the first ten pages where Beth gets sucked up into Hell. Now I know you are thinking-"That can't be right, no one can write two hundred pages where nothing really happens."
My response:

Oh dear friends, you can. You can indeed.
"But an angel in Hell sounds like a super action packed adventure-ful read."
My response:

A feeling a dread swept over me. I flipped back to the cover and read the flap again.

Everything in the flap is the entire book.

The ... entire... book.

Basically saying, you have nothing to look forward to. It is all already written out for you.

So not only did it become tedious because you already know everything that is going to happen you hopelessly read just to find out what Beth's bargain with Jake is to save Xavier.

It's gotta be good, right?

The Just Plain Weird
Finally, the end was in sight. Almost towards the last page you find out what Jake wants from Beth.

All your hope for this book will fly down the hill and you'll hear a voice in your head from a person that told you not to read Halo so, so long ago and you did not listen. How much more disturbing can this get? The fact that Beth agrees to this. Thankfully, (sarcasm there) Beth is saved from this hideous deed and just when you think it can't get any worse Xavier makes a proposition to Beth and you basically want to either tear your hair out or laugh hysterically.

The Conclusion
It's pretty much a happy ending.

My final thought is a sincere apology to those who warned me about Halo and I didn't listen.

Two stars only because I believe if Adornetto wrote about perhaps a different topic or plot it could be enjoyed because she does write well. It is what is between the lines that I did not enjoy.